Droid RAZR Maxx HD hands-on

We're here in New York where Google and Motorola just introduced the first fruits of its collaboration, the brand new RAZR line. The RAZR Maxx HD is the successor to the wildly popular RAZR Maxx, and a worthy one it is: underneath the hood you've got a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, the same chip powering the GS3 and HTC One X. You've also got the Maxx's famous 3,300 mAh battery, which Moto says will get you through 32 hours of normal usage. Motorola's battery technology is unmatched at this point, and it's not about to let you forget it.

But the true upgrade here is the RAZR line's display-- the HD and Maxx HD both have a stunning 4.7 inch Super-AMOLED display at 720p resolition that is right up there with Samsung and HTC in terms of clarity and vividness. I might even go on record and say it bests the GS3 in terms of color saturation, though my opinion may change after extended usage. it's simply stunning, and I don't have enough nice things to say about it.

Compared to the original Maxx, the second generation is a step up in terms of build quality-- the metal border, the slim bezel, the Kevlar coating, and the Gorilla Glass display all add up to one of the sturdiest smartphones on the market. And compared to the RAZR HD, the Maxx's size is nearly identical. While the Maxx feels just a few hairs heavier than the RAZR HD, thickness and dimensions will only be noticed by the most trained of eyes.

The RAZR Maxx HD (right) is negligibly thicker than the RAZR HD.

The models on-hand at today's launch were packing Jelly Bean, though Motorola says the new RAZR line might launch with ICS, with a 4.1 upgrade "before the end of the year." We hope that's not the case, but we'll take it if we have too-- a small price to pay for some of the best hardware Motorola has ever released. Check out some hands-on shots below.